Traitor Hearts
by HGoltara
Summary: Katarina has been assigned her first mission. However, during the mission, she meets someone who will change her life completely.
1. Unexpected Meeting

**Hey everyone, how are you? I decided to do this story as a advice from Deathjest(Thank you :D)**  
 **So, basically it will focus on all the events that led to Burden, that drabble I made about Garen and Katarina**  
 **Hope you enjoy it**

* * *

The young and innocent Katarina was running towards the Noxian High Command's Main Chambers, where her father, the renomated Grand General Marcus Du Couteau was waiting. She was bound to receive her first assassination mission. Despite being born a Noxian, she was pure, and never had someone's blood on her hands. Upon arriving, she opened the door and bowed to him. Even tough he was her father, she knew his rank was ways above hers. In the middle of the room was a dark and long wooden table, and twelve chairs, all of them with beautiful designs. On one of the walls, there was a perfect map of all of Runeterra illuminated by a few chandeliers that were strategically placed inside the room. Katarina saw her father looking intensely into it. " _Good, he is distracted."  
_ Trying to make a swift approach and surprise him, she tiptoed until half of the way, before being cut off by him.

"Katarina, did you really believe I did not see you there? I am the Grand General. I did not attain this position letting my guard down so easily. It was honestly stupid." Katarina was surprised by his words. He never treated her that way. Being his older daughter, she was always given more love and attention than Cassiopeia. The latter, after some time, learned that Katarina had earned her father's attention due to everything achieved as a assassin in training. Katarina shifted her left foot behind, surprised.

"But, dad-  
"No but's, your actions were flawed. The battlefield allows no flaws. Your mission is on that letter. Now go, I have important things to do." He said, handing a small letter to her.  
Katarina, bowing, left the room, and went to her chambers. _"What is going on with him? Is something going on? Why did he treat me like that?"_ Upon reaching her room, she opened the letter. It read:

 _Hello, Katarina.  
Your first task is to prove yourself to the Noxian Council and High Command.  
Scouts show that there is a Demacian encampment to the west. Spies reports say that the high ranking officer acting in there is going back to Demacia, and a medium rank has been dispatched took his place. Your job is to eliminate the officers before they assemble the troops and begin taking any hostile actions towards Noxus.  
Scouts say that the encampment shifts guards every morning. So it's better if you act during that time. Good luck.  
Blood for Noxus._

" _Ok, so I should depart right now, to reach the encampment tomorrow morning_ " She tought to herself. After having packed her throwing daggers, she picked up two knives her father had ordered the best blacksmiths forge exclusively to her. Having packed up, she proceeded to the gates, were a soldier was waiting with a horse. Since she had experience in riding horses, it was a easy task getting up on it. Then, she departed, heading west, where the encampment was.

* * *

Katarina had to hurry, or else she wouldn't get there by morning. Taking small breaks, she managed to administer her time and got near the encampment in time. Taking position near it, she used her Shunpo to teleport inside, and started listening at the conversation two soldiers were having. At one point, they began discussing why the general was still there. That moment, Katarina's eyes widened. She had the chance to kill two birds with one stone. Acting quickly, she dispatched the guards and made her way to what seemed like the main tent. In there, she saw the general looking intensely at a map of the region. Slowly, she approached him, and just as she was about to stab him, he turns, avoiding the attack. Yelling for help, he unsheathes his sword and swings in at her. She almost isn't able to dodge the attack, due to the difference in combat experience they had. The fight continued for a few seconds, before the redhead saw a opening in his defense and went for it, killing him. Then a lot of soldiers rushed into the tent, alongside the low ranked officer. He carried a sword just about his size, his armor was giant and he had short brown hair. Katarina could dispatch the soldiers with her throwing knives, but the officer's armor kept him unharmed.

"DEMACIAAAAA" He yelled, before chasing after her, that was leaving the room through a hole in one of the tent's walls. He kept chasing her for a few minutes, arriving at a forest. Both took battle stance, with the bulky man swinging at her. Ducking, she avoided the swing, but he swung again quickly, and she stumbled, but avoided it. Using her Shunpo, she teleported behind him, kicking a less covered part of his armor, that sent him backwards. Using the opportunity, she threw a few more daggers, that lodged themselves into his armor. Katarina used her shunpo again, but he reacted quickly, swinging up his sword at her. She didn't have time to react, as the almost hit her eye, and left a long cut on her face. Blood started pouring out, leaving her eye useless temporarily. The soldier hit her with the hilt of the blade, knocking her to the ground. Seeing no possible ways of escape, Katarina just closed her still functional eye and waited for her death.

But the soldier couldn't bring himself to do it. The aspect of finding someone whose skills match yours is something that every soldier looks forward. And if he killed her, he would lose a worthy foe.  
"Go away, Noxian filthy scum." He said, lowering his massive sword. Katarina opened her eye to see him going away.  
"What is your name, Demacian lapdog?" She shouted, looking at him. Turning back, he said one word, a word that would mark her forever. "Garen." Was all he said before disappearing back into the forest. Getting up, she passed her hand over the wound he inflicted on her. It was bad, very bad. It would leave a scar, a nasty one. Turning around, the assassin went in the direction she had left her horse. Mounting it, she rode back to Noxus, wounded, but proud of having made a Demacian general fall to her blades.


	2. Family Talks

**Writing this gave me a headache, dunno why.**

* * *

As Katarina kept riding back to Noxus, she couldn't forget him. The way their skills matched, and the way they clashed blades. Garen. She had heard of him before… He was known as the Might of Demacia, a equivalent of Darius.  
 _"Heh, he was good with that sword...  
I hope I'll get to see him again, since he's the real first challenge I had." _Upon arriving near the Noxian walls, she got off the horse, and walked to the gates, where her father was waiting. As she reached him, she saw the worried look on his face, as he looked at the cut in her face. He turned around, barking for a soldier to arrange a doctor instantly, and then turned back to her. "Katarina, how did this happen?" his tone was full of anger and worry.  
"I fought with the Might of Demacia, father, but the fight ended without a winner" She lied.  
"I'm not interested in your petty fights. Why didn't you kill the low ranking officer? The bastard was informed of what happened and gathered his troops, attacking the outpost during night. Our soldiers had no chance of resistance. You have failed your first mission, Katarina. You have failed me."

* * *

The bulky man was walking down the streets of his beloved Demacia, when a small blonde ran up to him, tackling him to the ground with a scream of happiness. Recomposing himself, Garen smiled at the sight of his young sister, Lux.  
"Hey Luxanna, how have you been? It's a long time since I left the city. But, now that I'm back, I think that the first thing I should do is catch up with all that happened with you and the city, eh?" He gave a small chuckle  
"Big bro, that's great. I missed you so much. Well, I guess that's right hehe, anyway, Jarvan gave me the day off. These meetings are so boring." She said, while keeping her arms around her brother  
"Lux, more respect, these meetings are where we decide how to maintain Demacian law and order." He mimicked his father's repreeding tone, earning a small laugh from the mage. "Now, since today is your break, let's hang out a bit, shall we?" He felt her grabbing his hand and dragging him across a wide variety of shops and stores, until they reached the most famous Demacian restaurant, The Golden Lion, that was also their favorite. They got in and took their seats. After a few minutes talking, they were interrupted by the waitress. They both raised an eyebrow when they saw Kayle as the waitress serving them.  
"Hey Garen, Lux, how are you two? Long time no see, Garen." She gave a innocent smile, remembering the time when they were a couple.  
"Hey Kayle, how are you?" They answered in unison, earning a chuckle from the angel.  
Garen ordered a big steak with mashed potatoes, rice and beans, while Lux ordered a salad with grilled salmon.  
"Hey Kayle, when do you finish here, so we can hang out all the three of us?" The question gave the woman a small blush.  
"Umm, in about one hour." Kayle tried her best to hide her blushing cheeks.  
After that, she got up and went to the counter, to pass their orders to the kitchen.  
"So, Lux, tell me, are the rumors true? Have you found someone?" Garen asked, with a calm expression.  
"Yes, he's so cute and passionate. Garen, please, do not stay against me, please, I already got mom and dad bothering me with that political marriage bullshit. If you were to ally with them, I would be very pissed off.  
"Don't worry, sis. A man's nationality does not determine his personality."

* * *

"Katarina, are you in there?" Katarina's non-biological brother asked, while knocking on her door.  
"Is that you, Talon? Come in, it's unlocked." She answered between sobs.  
"Hey, Kitty Kat, why are you crying?" Talon, despite being not biologically related to her, had a deep relationship with her, and considered Katarina his little sister. She could trust him with her secrets, problems and ask him for advices on everything. She trusted him with her life.  
"Talon, why is dad so cold to me? He was never this way before." The assassin hugged her tightly, while she rested her head on his shoulder.  
"Kat, the incident with the outpost had lighted the bomb inside him, and when you came back with that scar, it blew. He was already very bothered by having to deal with Urgot's reconstruction and Sion's resurrection."  
Katarina, that had stopped crying, looked up to Talon, with bloodshot eyes. The sight made his heart sink a little. He never saw her in such a sad state.  
"Kat, you should give him time, he'll forget about all of this. Now, I came to check in on you and chance the bandages around your eye, so, if you allow me." He started removing the bandages.  
"Talon, have you ever felt you met a worthy opponent?" The question took him by surprise. Talon, that was in a loss of words. But, after a few seconds, he stuttered a positive answer.  
"Who was it?" His sister asked.  
"Quinn, the Wings of Demacia." Katarina mouthed an oh, and then stayed quiet, to allow him to finish removing the bandages.  
After Talon successfully removed all of them, he searched inside his bag for a new set of pain-killing gel, and rubbed it on the wound. Katarina winced, due to the stinging it caused. After that, Talon started applying a new set of bandages. Katarina would have to endure the same boring process everyday for two weeks.  
Before her brother could leave, Katarina hugged him once again, thanking for all the help he was giving her. Near him, she could be herself, not the empty-feeling person the Noxians were supposed to be. She could be happy, she could smile, she could laugh, she could talk about a lot of matters. She could feel human.

* * *

 **Thank you for your time**  
 **If you liked the story, please consider giving it a review. It helps me to understand what you like and dislike**  
 **Thanks for reading S2**


	3. Old Friends, New Enemies

Garen woke to the sound of his door being slammed open. He jumped out of bed, moving for his armor, just as Shyvana rushed in with a frustrated look on her face.

"Hey, Shyv, what's up?" he asked, cautiously.

"Jarvan ignored me when I tried to reason against the removal of our support troops from Ionia."

The half-dragon raised her hand, a bright and large fireball materializing right above her hand. Garen ran forward, gently lowering her hand, and stopping her from destroying his room.

"Woah, calm down, let's just remain calm, okay? Did you remind him of the risk of another Noxian invasion?"

The woman winced. At that moment, Jarvan IV entered the room, and saw Shyvana. He raised a brow at the sight of his advisor in Garen's quarters, and looked at his friend.

"Hey, Jarvan, that's not what you are thinking." Garen said, withdrawing his hands from the dragoness.

"Ok Shyv, why did you leave the room like that? Did you really have to blow a hole through the wall? You could just have used the door."

The half-dragon blushed intensely and, looking down, she mumbled "Sorry, I overreacted."

Garen laughed as he watched everything unfold in front of him. Excusing himself, he left for the training grounds. He was going to see who was skilled enough to join the Dauntless Vanguard, since they lost five members during the invasion of a Noxian outpost. Grabbing his sword, he gathered his troops and began addressing them.

"Men, as you may know, we lost a few brave men while invading a Noxian outpost, so we are here today to decide who will be skilled enough to join the ranks of Demacia's most elite squad, the Dauntless Vanguard. Everyday we will divide you into groups of twelve each, making one on one battles, until only six remain, then we will group you into in pairs of three, until only two stand. From these two, only one will join the Vanguard. Now, Commander Xin will divide you, and supervise the battles. ."

After his speech, he descended the makeshift stage. On his way to the meeting room, Lux waved him down.

"Hey Garen, there's this matter I've been wanting to discuss with you," she said hesitantly.

"That Piltover boy, Ezreal?" He chuckled. Lux diverted her eyes, blushing intensely

"Yeah, how did you know?" she asked, dumbfounded.

He smirked as he walked past her. He stopped and turned around. "In three hours, the same restaurant we went, take him."

Lux's head shot up and she smiled immensely. She ran up and hugged her brother, who stumbled a little but held his ground. After that she released him, leaving him to head to his room, where he could change into more casual clothes.

As he finished dressing up, he heard some mumbling outside his door. He couldn't pick up anything that was being said. As the conversation stopped, there was a knock on the door. Opening the door, he was greeted by a dark-haired and tall woman.

"Shauna? What brings you here?" The man gave his long time friend a hug, receiving instantly a warm response from her.

"Hey, I was wondering if you would like to go out hunting with me. It gets kind of… lonely, you know." Vayne's voice betrayed her apprehension

"Well, I'd be glad to, just give me the time and place," he said with a smile.

Vayne smiled intensely at his response and threw her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest.

"Thank you Garen, thank you. The forest is lonely, sometimes," she said, with an almost imperceptible tremble.

"Hey, no need to worry, we can be few, but we are trustworthy." He soothed her, while feeling her embrace on him tighten.

* * *

 _Why these stupid training sessions? I want to go out there and run, kill, feel the rush of the battle. Maybe, I'll even get to find him..._ the redhead thought, while sitting on a bench located near the entrance of a training arena. Her thoughts were stopped when she saw a soldier walk out of the building, bruised and cut.

"Another one, Talon? You're unstoppable," she said, entering the arena.  
Yeah, this one actually gave me a bit of a challenge. What about you, came here to fight?" the assassin said, lowering his hood and sheathing his training blades. Examining his cuts and bruises, she chuckled.

"Not today, Talon. I don't want to be the one to destroy your invincibility," she taunted him, smirking.

"Yeah, like you could do that. So, what brings you here, Kitty Kat? Got into trouble again?" Talon asked, laying himself on the ground.

"No, father wants me to attend some anger management sessions so I can become a Noxian representative." She scoffed. "Politics are all a waste of time. War dictates who rules," she said.  
Looking at her surroundings, she could see that the building had already seen a lot of fights. Its walls carried images of previous Grand Generals.  
Its floor was covered with blood stains. In the corners you could see racks of spears, swords, daggers, shields, axes, all already a bit worn out. Through the dim light of a few candles placed in the room, she could see Talon tending to his bruises.

"Philosophical. Way too much for your dumb head. Have you been going to any kind of cultural center, or maybe even reading?"

His question startled her.  
She knew she could trust Talon with a lot of things, but was this one of them? What if he betrayed her and turned her in to the authorities? What would she do? Could she ever forgive him?  
"Yeah, actually, I have. I am trying to learn about Demacia."  
In a split second, he moved. Due to her distraction, she was not fast enough to dodge it, and Talon managed to press his blade against her throat.  
"I thought better of you, Katarina."  
Before he could make any move, she used her Shunpo to teleport behind him. With one swift move, she kicked his ribcage, effectively putting him on the ground.  
"Talon, wait. At least hear me before you do anything stupid," she spoke, dodging a few more knives thrown at her. "Have you ever found someone worthy?"

Her question made him stop instantly.  
"What do you mean by worthy?" he asked, staring directly into her eyes.  
"I mean, someone that matches your skill. Someone that makes you want to go back into the battlefield, in hopes to fight that person again." His expression deepened  
Yeah, I have once. That person still lives, and I long to fight her again." The assassin raised the hood over his head, trying to hide his face. "Got to go, Kat. See you again sometime. Oh, and before I forget. Darius is looking for you. Something about killing a renegade hiding in Ionia."

With that, he left, disappearing in the roofs of the city.  
Katarina ran out of the arena and started heading to the barracks, in hope of seeing Darius soon. As a general, he was not a figure that you could leave waiting. Upon reaching her destination, she quickly found him screaming at the recruits. Examining the man, she saw he was not carrying his axe. That gave her a chance to see his calloused hand. He wore his usual Noxian battle armor. With his hair flowing freely to the wind, he looked kind of cute. Kind.  
"Rough day, huh? What's up with the screaming?" she asked, knowing they were too good of friends for him to ever shout at her.  
"Hello, Katarina. About the screaming, I was teaching these recruits a few tips. I believe you already know why I have called you, right?" the bulky man asked, while putting his hands on his back.  
"No. I know nothing except that you have a mission for me," she said, looking at the always moving crowd present at the military zone.  
To her left, she could see the recruits honing their skills, while to her right she could see a bunch of soldiers carrying supplies around. Her distraction made her knock into a passing crowd. Scared, the soldiers she knocked into quickly got formation and left, afraid of her.  
"You made quite the name. Well, we have a friend that defected and is waiting for a Demacian squad to escort her to their country. These dogs offered her protection in exchange for information."

His words had an instant effect on her. Her fists tightened and she knocked out a passing soldier with a punch.  
"Who is the bastard?" the redhead demanded, after she finished unleashing her fury burst on the poor soldier.  
"Riven."


End file.
